


Tall, Dark, Handsome, and Mysterious

by Control_Room



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Celebrity Crush, Gen, Harassment Mention, Nonbinary Character, Over the Top, Period-Typical Racism, Teen Crush, Trans Character, Unrequited Crush, is joey a celebrity?, jim crow laws mentioned, not sure but ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:14:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Control_Room/pseuds/Control_Room
Summary: Dot loved a good mystery, and Mr. Drew is as good as any, if not better.
Relationships: (mentioned/implied), Joey Drew/Henry Stein
Comments: 7
Kudos: 11





	Tall, Dark, Handsome, and Mysterious

It was to be expected that someone or another would fall for the lanky chicano.

After all, he was mysterious and kindly, with a heart of gold and rainbows. The age old adage, tall, dark, and handsome all applied to him. Men and women and all those in between would turn their heads to get an extra glimpse at him whenever possible, a rarity disguised by a magical mask. 

And it is to be expected that with having teenagers under his employ that they too may fall victim to his charms. 

Now, though it was apparent that the expected person that would become infatuated with the good Mr. Drew would be closer to him, more able to witness and take in his virtues. Truthfully the one who held his heart was the upcoming Doctor Stein, yet it was clear that Johan had much love to share with the world. And of course, not everyone was aware of Joey’s relationship with Henry. Not that they were secretive of it, but rather because they were not going to rub it into others faces. 

Of course, not always the expectation comes into being. Especially with the heady youth, of which Johan knew very clearly. After all he fell for Henry when he was quite young, but they spent over thirty years to properly get together. He was not about to date a child, no matter if they were willing, due to being a sensible and proper being. Additionally, Joey absolutely was one of the most oblivious men to walk on God’s good earth, loving others without expecting to be loved back.

So when one worker tore her shirt, and Joey being his chivalrous self covered her with his cloak, then ran to fetch from Susie a proper fitting shirt. I am condensing the situation.

Unfortunately, she did not simply tear her shirt. She tore it as she fell down the stairs, and completely, so that when she fell into Joey’s arms it had been rather, er, too close for comfort. But Joey acted quick and without embarrassing the girl, though her secret slipped from her grasp the same way she fell into Joey’s.

It is a bit of a tale.

Johan sighed as he flicked through papers. Papers, papers, and more papers. Documents for the various segments of the studio; bills for Grant, sheet music for Sammy and Jack, storyboards for Henry, blueprints for Bertrum, and concepts for the writers. His eyes felt heavy as he finished skimming all the pages, and set himself to dropping them off. Most workers protested Johan doing the job, saying that they could do it themselves, that he should not trouble himself, that he had enough medical problems to deal with as is, but he did it anyway. It was good to meet up with the team, anyways.

Though, if he was being honest, he would have rather done all the work himself, like in the not so good old days. Sure, it was rough, but it kept him busy and distracted. Henry always said he worked himself too hard, but he found working thrilling, almost relaxing. He was one of the only people who could “work hard, work happy” with total and complete honesty. The others tried their best to, but constant frustration held that back. Johan dove deep into his work to distract himself and release the tension in his body and mind.

Breathing in, breathing out, pen on paper, swapping through colors to define what he meant on each paper. He nearly dozed off on the elevator because he had stayed up all night working on the documents. 

He managed to drop everything off to their designated areas, and then found he still had the story ideas to give to the lovely darlings that worked in writing. He yawned, and pushed the button on the elevator, and within a few minutes, he was already with and talking to said workers. They followed his only slightly stuttered words with fascination, clinging to each syllable like it was a dew drop of pure gold. He nearly blushed with each sound of approval, but only smiled and thanked them, informing them that without their work, the ideas would never find a way onto paper. 

One of the writers sat, mesmerized. There was something so mysterious about Mr. Drew, she thought to herself. And goodness, she loved a good mystery, it was what got her into writing in the first place. She watched the way he spoke and acted with the sharp eyes of a hawk, and then when he got up to leave, she got up as well, determined to follow him and be the one to shatter the delightful aura of riddles and strangeness surrounding him, certain that if he would fall in love with anyone particularly, it would be her.

“Mr. Drew!” Dot called after him, her short plump legs struggling to keep up with his long slim ones. Still, he stopped, and turned to allow her to catch up to him. Such a gentleman, she smiled inwardly. When she caught up, she breathlessly told him; “I had a few questions to ask you.”

“Yes, ma’am?” Joey always spoke with a sonorous, soft tone - that is, when he was not recording or filling the people who worked for him with robust energy and visions of grandeur and majesty. Dot held back a sigh. “Is it possible to w-walk and talk? I’m very busy, as you know.”

“Yes, yes sir,” she smiled, and walked as fast as her legs would allow. “Well, you see, I’ve had an idea for an episode….” 

So immersed was she in her talking and watching for any hint of a response to come across Johan’s handsome yet masked face, she hardly noticed when they had reached the stairs, and her foot came to rest on empty air, she pitching forward. 

She nearly shrieked, but she felt herself caught with a strange tearing sound.

“Miss Dot! Oh, I’m d-dreadfully sorry, are you alright?” Joey pulled her away from the stairs, going down onto his knees to examine her. “Good, good, you look fine, but I, uh, seem to have torn your shirt when I grabbed you.”

He quickly took off his custom made jacket and handed it to her. She stared at it for a moment, then slipped it on with a sense of satisfaction, trying to smell it without Joey noticing. Then worry filled her.

“You didn’t see anything, did you?” she questioned with suspicion. Joey only smiled, and shook his head. “Good.”

“Anyways, I have one of Susie’s shirts that I had mended that should fit you upstairs, if y-you’ll oblige me by following,” Joey told her, leading the way. Dot’s heart began to flutter. Johan was so courteous, and kind! Her stomach twisted in lovesick knots. And then they were in his apartment! It was not exactly what she imagined it to be, far less lavish, but still, it was nonetheless very romantic and delightfully homely. Johan slipped into his room, and Dot resisted the urge to take a peek within. Then the man himself reappeared, and she held the edge of a chair to keep herself from swooning. Oh, but then Johan would catch her… Dot allowed herself to fall, and Johan leapt for her with a shout. “Are you ok?” His hand came to her forehead. “You’re warm, and your heart is going a mile a minute! Are you feeling sick at all?”

“No, I’m fine, Mr. Drew,” she replied, and goodness, his arms were so much more firm and strong than she had believed. It sent her stomach into triple summersaults. She wanted to dance with him, to watch him dance with her. Or for her. “Just a little tripped up is all.”

“You sure?” he seemed so lovingly concerned, his brows arched ever so slightly, his ruby eyes examining her carefully behind a mask. She smiled and nodded. “Ok… are you sure that you’re able to return to work?”

“Oh, oh, I’m fine,” she replied, blushing under his scrutinizing gaze. Even though he wore a mask, the pie cut eyes upon it seemed far too deep for black on white. “Thank you, Mr. Drew.”

“It is no problem at all,” Joey nodded. “Just make sure to return the shirt to Susie tomorrow. You know how she is with fashion.”

“Yes sir,” Dot replied breathlessly, watching the end of Mr. Drew’s cloak swish away through a hall, vanishing around the bend like a phantom, his footfall imperceptible. Dot felt her blush grow all the more, and a realization struck her. “I have to tell Buddy.”

***

“You’re crazy,” Buddy instantly rebuffed when she told him. He nearly dropped his inker. “You’re not going to marry Mr. Drew just because he’s a nice guy.”

“You don’t get it, he knows my secret and didn’t say anything about it,” she gushed, grinning so that her dimples showed. “Only true husband material would do so.”

“So am I husband material?” Buddy wondered aloud. Dot swatted at him, and he dodged her hand, holding onto his kippah. “Shomer negiah!”

“Right, sorry,” she apologized, air patting him. “I forgot. I’ll try not to again.”

“Seriously though,” Buddy chewed the end of his pen, then swapped it for a piece of mint gum. Johan had noticed his habit and bought him a few packets. “Mr. Drew’s just a really nice guy. You shouldn’t fall so hard for him, he’s not going to date you. Get that idea out of your head before it turns into something it shouldn’t.”

“Oh, shush, Daniel. It won’t.”

***

It did.

She managed to corner Joey in his office while he was not paying too much attention to the door. She locked it after he said his oh so sweet “do come in”. He smiled at her, and she wished she could see it without the mask. Then she decided she would.

“M-mademoiselle?” he stuttered as she marched up to him, steely resolve blazing in her eyes. “Is something the m-matter?”

“You’re a very handsome man,” Dot smirked. The enchanted mask’s expression vanished, becoming one of shock. She put a hand on it, and started to tug it off. A gloved hand pressed to hers to stop her action. She looked at Joey with surprise, all the more startled by his firm features. “Come on, Mr. Drew, don’t you like to live dangerously?”

“Er, uh, no, not really,” he was panicking, but refused to show her. He forced a scowl from his face, and took on a more authoritative role. “Dot. This behavior is unacceptable. I need you to leave this office and calm down.”

“Why so cold, Mr. Drew?” she pouted, resolutely tugging on his mask once more. A coldness burned into the room, torching the whole. Dot stepped back. “Mr. Drew…?”

“Please leave now.”

“I-I,” she flushed. Anger surged. “I’m going to sue!”

He blinked.

“I’ll say you harassed me!” she spat, and ran out in tears. “And I’ve got my shirt to prove it!”

Joey plopped into his chair, head in his hands, stressed.

“Damn teenagers.”

“You were one, too, for quite a while,” Henry chuckled, getting up from where he had hidden under the desk, for he and Joey were, ah, taking a break that involved each other’s mouths before Dot came in. He turned Joey’s mask to kiss his cheek. “An extra thirty to one hundred twenty years or so, wasn’t it?”

“I wasn’t aware of the time passing, no one was!” Joey defended himself. “Still, what am I going to do? If she really goes through with that threat… they’d, y’know….”

He drew a line across his dark throat.

“It’ll be fine,” Henry assured him. “I think that Susie and the others would catch her.”

“Why S-Susie?” Joey rose an eyebrow. Henry smiled, and replied, “Well, she has to return her shirt somehow, doesn’t she?”

***

Dot was still crying when she was returning the shirt to Susie. The singer exchanged glances with Allison. 

“What happened, darling?” Susie probed gently, taking the shirt and setting it aside. Dot shook her head, not planning on fessing up. “Come on now. You can tell us.”

“Tell us what?” Lacie asked, swinging hir coat over hir shoulder. “Is it that lil’ crush of yours?”

“You know?” Dot squeaked, turning pink. Lacie grinned. “Nah, it was a lucky guess. So, Mr. Drew shut you down, didn’t he?”

“Why, yes, he did,” she sniffed. “So I’m going to sue him.”

Susie held in a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. “I’m serious.”

“You might be serious but you’re not thinking about it,” Allison calmly iterated. “Now, think about something. Crow Laws. Even though they’re not here properly, there’s still a little something called ‘lynching’, and that would certainly happen if word gets out that a black man possibly did something to a white girl.”

“Oh,” Dot’s mouth opened. She blushed, looking at her hands. “Oh, oh no, you’re right. But I feel miserable.”

“You’re rushing, dear,” Susie sweetly patted her hand. “There’s no need for running about like a headless chicken. Take your time. Also, I can assure you, Mr. Drew is in a relationship.”

“He is?” her eyes widened, swept away by the mystery. “With whom?”

The three women glanced at each other with knowing grins. 

“Tell me!”

***

Johan tried to avoid her, but she managed to catch him as he was leaving the art department. 

“Mr. Drew,” Dot stood in front of him with her hands folded in front of herself. “I wanted to say I was sorry for my behavior yesterday.”

Joey relaxed, lowering his cocked brow. 

“What I said was improper and my actions were hasty and rude,” she added. “And I’m very sorry for that. I’m also sorry for putting you on the spot like that. You’re a very good man.”

“Ah,” Joey smiled awkwardly. “I’m glad you’ve, er, thought about it. I am proud that you understand what kind of situation you were putting me in.”

“Yes, I do,” she nodded. “It won’t happen again. It should not have happened in the first place.”

“That’s agreed on,” Mr. Drew sighed. Dot shifted, and he could tell she wanted something else. “Anything e-else?”

“Just a small thing,” she smiled sheepishly. “Who’re you dating?”

Joey blushed behind his mask.

“That’s one mystery you’ll have to solve on your own.”


End file.
